Saturday was a holiday again. Only for me. Not for my parents thankfully. So I sat on my couch, balancing a bowl of cornflakes in hand, chewing thoughtfully at the cartoons onscreen.

I hushed, noticing familiar voices bantering below my balcony. I immediately muted the television and peered out. One of my mother's sarees on the washing line teased my line of vision and I pushed it away.

Mrs D'Souza was sporting a loose kurta and a pair of baggy jeans, a fishing rod over her shoulder. I immediately grew excited. I know that the D'Souzas' were more interested in weekend getaways than my family but it didn't really intrigue me because I knew that they would go camping or mountain climbing which my lethargic body did not have the stamina for.

But a lazy afternoon fishing without any vigorous activity ?

An unmissable opportunity.

Mr D'Souza was cleaning the windshield and spontaneously, I called out to his wife. She shielded her eyes from the sun, squinting up at the alleged haunted building until she noticed my eager waving hands as if I were on a ship to Honolulu. I hand-gestured to her if I could join them and she beckoned me with an easy smile.

The fact that I didn't ask my mother's permission sprang up in my brain and then evaporated just as immediately. I had already bunked college a few times without her knowing so this would have to be added to the list.

For some reason, I was throwing caution to the wind.Also, I knew my mom trusted the D'Souzas. So whatever.

I had already showered in the early morning as required by our family tradition that we wash our hair every weekend -apart from the sultry working days when I would have to cleanse it from all the pollution anyways. Ignoring my damp hair, I pulled out a vintage top and simple trousers, robbing the television of its colourful display of Bugs Bunny before I could lock the house.

After yesterday, I was more than happy to see Sylvia and I instantly dived into the car, muttering a happy greeting to David until I noticed who was perched by the other side of the window.

My expression flickered as I noticed Kabir but the couple was observing me so I quickly thwarted my greeting, pushing the door close behind me.

Awkward.

I wasn't really enraged at the band, for throwing me out because it made sense. Laziest musician, kick her out and improve the musical quality of the band. Logical.

But I didn't really know how to feel about Kabir being a part of it. Maybe he had an explanation. He wasn't insensitive.

I could get a whiff off his woody perfume from my side of the car so I quickly unrolled the window open.

Ah, fresh air that did not smell of the love interest that betrayed you.

I cleared my throat, hoping to lighten the mood, "Saloni?"

"She's gone to work on a project at her friend's."

"Oh," I fell back on the cushions, leaning towards the window. The breeze seared into my damp hair, creating ripples of dark waves swishing across my face.

I heard Kabir laugh and I involuntarily turned to gaze at him.

There was still happiness in the world?

I lost a position in the cool band at the academy and the next few days should be declared official for the public to wallow in a pool of sorrow over my loss.

After a few moments, something boisterous happened.

We were only half an hour into the drive and the stupid person next to me was craving hot chocolate. I usually declined offers of any refreshments during a drive because they eventually made their way outside as a bucket of vomit.

So I thought that it will only be an over thrilled David who was going to visit Harmakki House but his parents also joined him.

Leaving me with Kabir in the car. Alone.

What a different upbringing the D'Souzas must have had to not consider this an abominable sin.

It was almost reminiscent of the time he dropped me off from college.

Except we were now in the backseat and not exactly in the mood to chat about the weather and politics.

This was not the comfortable poignant silence that my grandfather maintained with his buddies when they run out of topics.

It was a sort of pregnant silence, awaiting a reconciliation.
At least from my side.

I tucked my hair behind my ear, wringing my hands together. I snuck a quick look from the corner of my eyes and realised that he was scrolling through his Blackberry.
I rolled my eyes silently. When Kabir played indifferent, he did it much better than me.

After a few minutes of anticipation that was slowly crumbling down like a sandcastle, I noticed that the happy-family-trio was quickly downing their piping hot drinks and Godknowswhy.

They could have a full course meal complete with dessert now and I wouldn't mind.

I tried my last attempt, pretending to bang my elbow against the glass.

Awkward silence ensued after I really hurt my elbows and I rubbed them soothingly.

But this time, I caught his attention.

He was observing me passively and I looked back at him. Generally, when you lock eyes with Kabir, he always has a pleasant air that reaches his eyes. It makes you want to keep gazing at him, enveloping yourself in the sunny warmth and a hint of playfulness lingering in his eyes. But when he is pissed, he has the ability to close himself off like the door of a refrigerator.

Thud!

You can't see anything that he feels reflecting in his gaze hereafter. Just a blank, boring pairing of eyes focusing on something mundanely.

Before I could open my mouth, I heard the click of the door, David's father unlocked it.

The small image of David jogging into the parking made me quickly pat the seat next to mine.

Kabir went blank and I tapped the cushion again for emphasis, "Here."

Noticing his indecisiveness, I quickly grabbed his hand, tugging it lightly for a double emphasis.

No one could emphasise anything as thoroughly as me.

David noticed Kabir slowly sliding in the seat and he rolled his eyes, rounding the vehicle to climb in from the opposite door.

After a moment I realised how it felt for masculine thighs to brush against mine, hard shoulders tantalisingly close.

I was going to remove my hand from our linked hands on my lap,like a professional greeting on pause. It just lay there against the fabric of my clothes, taut and lifeless.

I studied in a co-ed school since kindergarten, but nothing could prepare me for the onslaught of the gentle caress of his fingers against my palm.

Who gets nervous for these silly--

His fingers lightly squeezed mine and my stomach flipped.

Okay, I do.

"Tell me, your majesty! Madam has finally spared some time for me, hmm?"

He meant it as a taunt but because of our enthusiastic fishing grouping huddled together in close quarters, it was more of a raspy whisper.

I whispered back even though nobody cared: "At least I'm ready to speak things to your face, unlike some people who vote out friends in their absence."

He narrowed his eyes, letting go of my hand: "As per your version, great! What did you want to talk so urgently anyways?"

His tone was just as haughty and indifferent but I couldn't help myself, I rushed to the point: "What you were assuming, it's all wrong."

He frowned, "About what?" he returned to his normal tone, perking David up.

I leaned into his shoulder, my whisper voice was awful but the snippet of news was important. Maybe he'll weep in relief, beg me for forgiveness for his careless gesture of throwing me out of the band and then declare me the best thing that has happened in his life to date. With the small flame of hope, I conveyed straight into the shell of his ear:

"Your dad has no illicit connection with Sylvia as we thought. It was just a misunderstanding on your mother's part. They were just spending time together for a business venture. You misunderstood it. I heard them myself yesterday."

Okay, I didn't need to garnish the last sentence with so much pride like I was Columbus and I found America but I couldn't help it. I leaned back surreptitiously and watched him digest the pleasant revelation.

He coolly turned his gaze to mine: "You think I'm a fool? If I had the slightest doubt that Sylvia had an affair with my dad, do you think I will accompany her to random outings happily?"

"Maybe no--Wait, how and when do you know this?"

"I'm a fool to even think of dad like that. I tapped into his landline calls with her and realised I was super wrong."

"Oh! So you knew all along and you didn't even bother to tell me, letting me think the worst of them all these days, thanks."

"Oh, I see," he remarked, " You wanted this piece of information. Very nice. When was the last time we had a proper conversation apart from the time I dropped you home?"

"Meaning? I always talk to you! I send you a good night SMS every day and if you chat after that, I reply!"

He arched one brow wearily and I sighed. Again, the expectations. I could not talk with Sanya for a year and we would still be on good terms when we meet next but that routine couldn't be duplicated with crushes and partners. They expect regular, unwavering communication. And where will a middle-class conservative girl whose mother holds up a placard that says 'Beware of Boys' every day go for smooth communication and regular dates?

Seeing that I had no retort, he pursed his lips, "That's all you wanted to say?"

He clearly wanted me to say something, something along the lines of 'Oh, I'm so sorry about my behaviour yesterday, can I kiss the ground you walk on blah blah blah--'

But it wasn't like I was spineless.

"Yeah," I shrugged lightly, "But I guess so you already knew."

He shook his head and sighed, which roughly translated to 'What an adamant girl.'

I had no qualms apologising to Kabir of all people, but he didn't get the chronology.

First, he should tell me why he did what he did and then I would try to understand and apologise for my hasty behaviour yesterday. That's all I pictured.

But he rested back on his seat casually, resuming a conversation with his wise companion out of nowhere. David could literally sense the steam shooting out of my ears like a 70's pop art comic and he hesitated.

"The harbours are great in Vizag ra. We'll go on a trip there once, what do you say?"

"Err--" He darted glances between his friend and myself.

"Is everything okay between you two now or not?" He broached warily.

Kabir spared a glance at me, "It is normal just like it always is. She talks when she wants to and then disappears into her fairytale storybooks."

"Fairytale storybooks?" I hissed like it was venom, "Excuse me but I don't read any sparkly princess stories, thank you very much, I read about murder and blood and gore, you know the kind where the killer keeps stabbing into his victims until his guts wrench out and his eyes pop out of their socke--"

David coughed, "Fairytales sound much better."

Kabir chuckled as if he was satisfied that he elicited a reaction from me.

"Do you want me to test my acquired knife carving skills on you?" I shot at him forgetting that we were supposed to whisper.

"Knife carving!" Sylvia caught on to a phrase in my threat and exclaimed, "I used to be a part of those competitions in school. We used to carve pumpkins during Halloween and those who used to..."

I let myself forget my newfound fury and direct my attention to her narrative.

After a drive for another quarter of an hour, we reached Osman. The weather was perfectly warm and toasty, perfect for a fishing date.

The lake possessed a sense of calmness from its core to the ripples that danced. It wasn't the romantic aqua blue like I'd thought it would be because of the layer of crude moss on the riverbed that instantly camouflaged its hue. The waves ruffled liltingly and the moment was picturesque. The mountains eased into the backdrop as if they were meant to be there, like one of those nature paintings one used to doodle as a kid.

This is what I loved about the suburban outskirts, unapologetically crude and beautiful, attracting an ambient-loving artist like me by its steady spirits and gusts of fresh air, giving me a feeling of homecoming.

A path across the lake led up a steady path to the highlands, the trail disappeared among heathers and wild brambles.

I picked up my fishing rod, almost dropping it to the ground because of my casual hold. Mr D'Souza pitied me and exchanged mine for his wife's. I wanted to protest and say that I would try again and was a perfectly capable young woman but my opportunity was out of hand. My companions had already taken their seats on the makeshift wooden platform, ripples of water splashing till their ankles.

I clumsily sat next to David, noting that the couple wanted some private time. I secretly gazed back at their chuckles and hushed chatter as Mrs D'Souza donned her hat.

When was the last time my parents had their private time?

-Ah, yes. When my mother discovered that my father spent an excess of 400 rupees of the monthly budget.

Fishing wasn't hard, not even handling the rod was. I unrolled the reel, hooking my bait and expertly letting the slides dip into the water. The only problem was people expected your rod to return with live fish on its bait. That was a feat that I had managed to only achieve once a few years back.

By accident that too.

The reason being that I was very squirmish. I couldn't remain in the same posture for a minute straight. And of course, those poor fishes would be alarmed by bait that was continuously salsa dancing in the water. And they never rose up to my trap because the entire prospect of dead bacon moving so much was after all, suspicious.

I watched as David and Kabir began depositing their catch into a bucket next to them with ease and I sighed. I let the rod stay in place, drifting into a daydream as a gush of air whooshed past me, lilting me into a lighter state of mind.

All I needed now was some melodious music.

And of course, speaking of needs, the necessity of paramount importance was to reach home before sunset.

Sylvia sensed this later on and gave my hand a reassuring pat before opening her picnic basket. The D'Souzas were somehow convinced that David and Kabir were my best friends and kept abandoning us to ourselves as if we were going to play hide-and-seek or dress-up in a while.

Mrs D'Souza was a fan of the frothy sugarcane juice from the local vendor and I was almost sure that the couple had disappeared up the highway in pursuit of it.

"How is Siya?" David asked, taking a bite into his wrap and I smiled, immediately conjuring up a picture of my enthusiastic sibling prancing around with her Physics textbook.

"Ya, she's fine...I guess."

"Not visiting her nowadays?" Kabir asked quietly and I understood why. They used to be close-knit buddies until I came into the picture.

"They...Don't encourage guests," I confessed, "Mostly because they go on a lot of pilgrimage trips and pujas and Siya is not free on weekends when she is not working."

Kabir was thoughtful and David guffawed, "Siya and religion?"

Of course, Siya was a strong advocate of science and medicine than divinity which was why watching her efficiently camouflage into someone suitable for her in-laws was strange.

"She keeps talking about you," Kabir said and I frowned, " You are in touch with her? Her landline blares a loud devotional song and no one ever picks up. Only last week I called her neighbour to talk to her. How do you..?"

"We chat occasionally on MSN."

"Oh. Me too...."

I remained mum after that, leaning back against the rough bark of a tree, enjoying the scenic view.

After a quick lunch and a stroll through the countryside, I had to resist the urge to swim in the backwaters under the bridge because Sylvia said that there was a dam nearby and the currents were too strong to manage.

Somewhere along the ride, I had fallen asleep and since David insisted I sit in the middle, I probably leaned over Kabir in my half-drowsy state.

I was only partly unconscious but I didn't move away, trying to breathe normally like other human beings as I felt him pull me down gently, adjusting a cushion under my head.

I could sense his long fingers brushing my hair away from my face and I resisted my urge to smile.

Acting was a useful skill.